Pink Rock Candy – Top fashion trends, news and shopping of 2010

It’s getting about that time. The flowers are blooming, the rain is subsiding, and the temperatures are definitely rising— the summation of all these elements yields an end result of me showing a lot more leg and being able to wear t-shirts with out getting those annoying “do you know there’s snow on the ground” looks. Over my almost 20 long years, I’ve been through quite a few different tee trend obsessions, including the almost clever, boy-bashing tee phase during middle school and my last phase, revolving around graffiti art tees, but now I’ve moved on.

My latest tee-obsession du jour is more of the tribal nature, and by tribal I mean, Native American “tribal”. Think birds of prey, feathers, trees, and maybe even a dear or two.

Luckily, Truly Madly Deeply has a whole slew of t-shirts at Urban Outfitters which were obviously inspired by the phantasms they stole from my dreamcatcher. My favorite tee out of the bunch is the Tribal Feathers Tee, I know feathers again! The shirt not only has this super back-to-nature feel, but is a v-neck which is one of my favorite t-shirt necklines, of late. I think I’d wear it slightly tucked into a voluminous high wasted skirt (though most high waisted things look as if set normally on my extremely long torso) and with the knock-off YSL Tribute sandals from Bakers (I know, I know, knock-offs, but YSL doesn’t fit my student budget, and I love those sandals so much!) strapped around my day-glo painted toes

Are you a tee girl? If so, what are your favorite types of t-shirts, and if not, what do you love to mix and match with your warm-weather bottoms?

I will admit, I’ve been quite critical of late. I’ll also admit, I’m not the biggest Karlie Kloss fan made evident when I criticized her Blue Steel, but I really, really like her spread in the Numéro 92. Something about her overly fierce stare just works with the clothes and the contrast between the Delfina Delettrez spooky eye jewelry, the crazy scalloped eye makeup, and her signature glare totally works, and goddammit, the girl just always seems to take a fabulous picture.

I’m more and more wishing US magazines would start to be a little edgier like their European counterparts, but I know very few magazines will ever surpass the spice magazines like Numéro and i-D provide. Luckily, the interweb gives us lots of access to those magazines we might never read otherwise.

Also I really like the Chloe dress in the picture above, though I’m not sure I’d have the guts to hop in the pool with it. I also spy one of the Prada skirts I’m in love with, sigh!

More pictures below! (more…)

Jourdan Dunn is going to be on the cover of the upcoming all-black, Steven Meisel shot, July issue of Italian Vogue. What are my feelings of the cover choice? I kind of wish it was Chanel Iman, simply because I feel like Chanel is really adorable like the little model sister I never had. Jourdan Dunn, though, is very gorgeous, and was the first black model to walk Prada since Naomi Campbell in 1997. My feelings about the issue in general, on the other hand, I keep going back and forth about.

Part of me, is saying, thank god black models are going to get their chance to show the world what they can bring. They will be able to show all those casting directors that just because they have an extra inch or so around the hips, doesn’t mean they can’t wear couture or look as fierce as all of the pale svelte models they normally put in Vogue and send down the runways.

On the other hand, though, I’m very sad and annoyed that things have come down to this. Its grievous that the only way for most young black models to get any attention is if they devote an entire issue to black models. This is almost as if to say, we feel bad and acknowledge that we, as a fashion industry, have shunned you and models like you, so to make amends we’re going to give you your own issue, and you won’t have to compete with the models we actually like. I honestly hate to be the one to rain on anyone’s parade, but I’m sure I’m not the first person to see this. As fabulous as it is to give this set of models a chance, they are still technically segregating them from the other models the industry tends to covet.

This may just be part of the disdain I have for people, black, white, or otherwise, who throw themselves and others into little groups because of their skin color, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation, but whatever the reason, I don’t entirely like the idea of this issue. If only they would make a conscious effort to be racially unbiased with every magazine issue, there would be no need for an all-black issue.

All lamenting aside, I hope this will help open doors for the young black models of today and of the future.

What do you think about the all-black issue? Do you think it will help lead the way for more diverse (in all senses of the word) runways and fashion editorials, or will things just stay the same?

How do I say this lightly? I think Pete Wentz is trying to take over the world! I know it’s scary, but just listen. Not only is he in a multi-platinum selling band, but he has a clothing brand (which is selling at Nordstrom, online, and his store), a music label,a clothing store, a hair salon, a nightclub/bar, a book, a Jackass type movie, multiple blogs, and a legion of screaming fans. Plus, he’s now in a Walmart ad campaign (I don’t even want to talk about it!), is marrying a Simpson, and I heard through the grape vine he’s coming out with another book. What form of media hasn’t he dipped his feet in? Newspapers, and I’m not even sure about that!

Before I get a bunch of raging emails from fangirls, I have to say, I’m a fan of Mr. Wentz. I think he’s and extremely intelligent business man who is in one of the biggest bands of the recent past. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s mildly attractive, tends to be very sympathetic towards those in need, and writes lyrics/poems that make me swoon but hurt my head all at the same time. That being said, I think he’s sort of like the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. He’s all like, “Anakin, I can teach you the true strength of you powers,” and then everyone turns into little Darth Vader clones who happen to be a bit emo.

The book that I heard from a reliable, yet disinterested source is already written and is about modern rock stardom or something. I like to say it’s Pete’s memoirs, but I haven’t actually gotten my grubby hands on the press release yet (this is all hear say, there’s my DISCLAIMER!) I‘m also not quite sure what it’s going to be titled, but if I were Pete, I would name my book Boy Bangs and Guyliner, and I would write about societies new found loathing of the emo sub-culture, which isn’t even true emo. So if you are reading this Pete, I think you should change the title of the book I heard is coming out, mine is better. I won’t even charge you for it. Okay, maybe an acknowledgment in the back saying something along the lines of, “Thanks to Chelsea Rae, the (insert endearing adjective) writer of Pink Rock Candy, for suggesting my wonderful, tongue-and-cheek title,” but that’s it!

p.s. This really has nothing to do with anything, but I had to put it out there. What would you call Pete’s book? (I’m opening Pandora’s box, I know!)

Photo Credit: Pete’s Friends Or Enemies

EDIT: The book is called Rainy Day Kids, which is a book Pete has been writing for a while. Its said to be fairly autobiographical following my whole memoir idea, and comes out October 7th, 2008. If I get my hands on it before, maybe I’ll review/give you guys all the juicy details before it comes out (that’s only if you want, I know Pete isn’t always that popular!)

Ever since I was little, or when ever the Disney movie came out, I wanted to be Pocahontas. My parents bought me the cassette, yes, cassette, of the soundtrack and I would listen to it every night while I tried to go to sleep— I don’t think I ever made it past “Just Around the River Bend”. This little Pocahontas obsession has been in remission until recently when I saw pictures of Mary Kate wearing a feather headband, I think they were in Nylon a while back. Since then, I’ve been contemplating ways to make my own feather headband, and I just recently completed my mission.

The headband doesn’t really say Pocahontas, it kind of says “I’m a flapper”— but, flappers are definitely up there on my list of things I want to be, among hippies, pirates, old school groupies, and princesses.

I made it using an old headband, some ribbon, a feather patch, and some gorilla glue (I couldn’t find my glue gun). I just wrapped the ribbon around the headband and then slapped on the feathers. It sounds very nontechnical, and that’s because it was. The process was a very macho, fix it with duct tape, rub some dirt in it kind of thing, but it turned out very pretty and girlie. I’ve worn the headband with pretty much every hairstyle I have in my arsenal, and it works really well with everything, though because I have a side part, I do like it better when the feathers are on the side with no bangs.

If you want to see more feather looks, lc from Fops and Dandies just bought a really cute feather crown looking headband, that is much more Pocahontas-y than mine, or you can just etsy search feather headbands.

p.s. Since I’m name dropping bloggers, I just met with Secretista (if you haven’t visited her blog do it!), because we go to school together, and were starting this super-semi-secret project on campus that I think will be really fun, but a lot of work. I’ll tell you more about it when things start falling into place (I don’t want to jinx it), but what would you suggest as a good way to find people who are interested in fashion on a college campus (other than facebook)?